Self-wringing mop



Aug, 8:, 1967 M. MAKAR 3,334,369

SELF-WRINGING MOP Filed April 26, 1965 United States Patent 3,334,369 SELF-WRINGING MOP Michael Makar, 311 E. 93rd St., New York, NY. 10028 Filed Apr. 26, 1965, Ser. No. 450,613

1 Claim. (Cl. 15120) This invention relates to. a mop made of conventional strands wherein the strands are adapted to be wrung by special means mounted on the mop assembly, itself. There are mops already in use, and which have been disclosed in previous patents, which have means incorporated on the mop assembly for squeezing the water from the said mop. Many of these previously disclosed devices are of the sponge variety. My invention relates to a mop not of the sponge variety, but having the conventional strands, with convenient means for accomplishing the elimination of water, and which will also be convenient to use when set in a mopping position.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a mop made of strands, which can be conveniently twisted to remove most of the water, and which will be convenient to use during mopping operations.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a mop of this type which will not present projections outside of the soft mopping strands, and therefore will eliminate objectional scratching, and wear and tear on furniture.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a mop of this type which will assume an especially effective contour for mopping, and which will efficiently wring out the strands when desired, by a mechanical contrivance.

Further objects and additional improvements of this invention will become apparent from referring to the following detailed specifications and attached drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of the novel mop in its entirety. a

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the mop broken away at an intermediate portion in order to show some member details.

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the mop shown in FIG- URE 2 also partly broken away and partly shown in cross-section to more clearly disclose important details of my invention.

FIGURE 4 is a partly cross-sectional view of the lower half of the mop of FIGURES 2 and 3 showing important features of the mop head.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of the plane 55 of FIGURE 3 showing details of the swivel connection between the shaft and the handle.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 3, my mop is seen to comprise a turban type construction having a handle 50 having a bracket 51 attached integrallythereto at its lower end. The bracket 51 has front and back plates 52 and 53, providing thereby a cavity for receiving the gear and shaft mechanism, and thereby protecting and obscuring it from view. The lower end of bracket 51 is attached to a collar 55, which rotatably receives the shaft 54, which is also swiveled at its upper end and longitudinally captive within the handle 50 as seen in FIGURE 5. Thus, it is seen that shaft 54 can move rotatably with respect to handle 50, collar 55, and of course bracket 51, and plates 52 and 53. Shaft 54 extends downwardly and freely through a tube 56, which has attached integrally thereto, at its lower end, a hood 57. Shaft 54 is driven by bevel gear 58 secured thereto, disposed behind bevel gear 59, as seen in particular in FIGURES 2 and 3. Bevel gear 59 is driven by an actuating handle 60, which protrudes through the front plate 52, as seen more paiticularly in FIGURE 3.

The bracket 51 has a guide ring 61 extending therefrom which functions as a guide for the shaft 54 which can rotate relative to the said guide ring 61.

Referring now to the lower portions of FIGURES 2 and 3, it is seen that the hood 57 surrounds and retains therein a turban mop head 62, whose construction will be described in more detail in connection with FIGURE 4. The shaft 54 extends through the tube 56, and hood 57, and is centrally located within the mop head 62, and is attached thereto by means of a boss 63, whereby rotary motion of shaft 54 will cause the boss 63 to rotate, and provide a wringing action, as will be described. It is important to note that the mop should not be wrung when in a position as shown in FIGURE 2, but is wrung when in a position as shown in FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 2 represents the position that the mop assembly is in when mopping operation is taking place, wherein the shaft 54 is retracted with respect to the hood 57, causing the mop head 62 to assume a turbanlike contour and causing it to be squeezed against the hood 57, and protrude laterally therefrom, providing a protective more or less circular mopping surface.

In FIGURE 3, the mop assembly is shown in the wringing position, wherein the shaft 54 has been extended relative to hood 57, to assume the elongated more or less cylindrical shape shownin FIGURE 3. In this position, shaft 54 is rotated, as will be described, causing the strands to be twisted thereabout, and the water wrung therefrom.

- The mop assembly is retained in the position of FIG- URE 3, by use of a clip 64, which is attached at the base of the hood 57 by means of rivets or the like 65, and which extends upwardly to a forked end 66. The forked end 66 is adapted to engage an exterior polygonalshaped portion 67 of the handle in a manner which will prevent relative rotation of the handle 50 with respect to the tube 56, much in the same manner in which a wrench grips a bolt. Thus, to assume the position as shown in FIGURE 3, the handle 50- is pushed downwardly, and the clip 64 is raised upwardly relative to the said handle until the forked end '66 comes into prox imity with the polygonal-shaped portion 67, and pressed into engagement. The forked end 66 is biased to retain the position of the engagement with the handle portion 67, by means of a spring action of the said clip 64. Therefore, it is obvious that the clip 64 cannot rotate relative to the handle 50, and therefore the hood 57 cannot rotate relative to the handle 50, and thus when the lever handle 60 is rotated, causing the rotation of shaft 54, the strands of the mop head will be twisted about the shaft 54, and also relative to the hood 57, causing the water to be extracted therefrom. To have the mop assume the position as shown in FIGURE 2, the handle 50 is retracted relative to the hood 57, by removing the clip 64 from the handle against its spring action until the forked end 66 is in proximity with the collar 55, which is also of a similar polygonal shape to the portion 67 of handle 50. The forked end 66 will then grip the collar 55, and be retained thereon, causing the mop assembly to be in a position as shown in FIGURE 2 which is ready for mopping as contrasted to the wringing position. In the position of FIGURE 3, rotation of the hood 57, with respect to the collar 55, is further prevented -by the V-slot 68 formed at the top of the tube 56, and which is adapted to coact with a similar V-shaped projection depending from collar 55. The engagement of V-slot 68 with collar 55, further causes the forked end 66 to come into contact with the appropriate portion 67 of the handle 50. In FIGURE 2, the forked end portion 66 of clip 64, is shown to be engaging the collar 55, and so retaining the shaft in its retracted position.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, it is shown how the mop head 62 is secured to the hood 57 by means of wing nuts 69 and 70. The mop is provided with a protective inner facing 71 which would prevent strands from becoming loose, and becoming entangled with the rotating shaft 54.

It is now apparent that the device shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, provides a mop head of very convenient turban shape, which will be very useful in preventing wear and tear on furniture, and also provide an efficient shape for being wrung by the mechanism described herein.

The form of the invention, as described above, will make it unnecessary for persons engaged in mopping, to have to bend over a dirty pail of water in order to wring the mop out. Moreover, the mechanisms which make it convenient for performing the wringing operation, are completely enclosed, except for the actual handle. It is further believed, because of the particular shape of the mop head, and its means of operation, that the mop head will last longer, since there are no loose ends which continually become frayed and deposit themselves on the floor, as is the case in conventional mops. It is well known from practice, that the use of strand mops is much more effective than the sponge variety, inasmuch as they perform a much more efficient scrubbing and absorbing function, and will usually last longer than the usual rubber sponge, etc. type of mops. Because of the previous inconvenience involved in the wringing of a strand mop, the sponge and the like type of mops have become quite popular because of the more sophisticated methods of extracting the water therefrom. However, it is believed that with this new method of wringing and constructing a strand mop, that an improved function will result therefrom.

It is to be understood that the additional forms and modifications of this invention, which may be devised, based upon this disclosure, and within the scope of a skilled mechanic, are to be regarded as falling within the scope of this invention, and that the invention is not to be limited by the specific descriptions herein, but by the more general aspect of the invention as recited and pointed out in the claim to follow.

I claim as follows:

In a self-wringing mop, the combination of a handle, a bracket integral with the lower end of said handle, said bracket comprising a front plate and a rear plate, a shaft supported rotatably free and longitudinally captive at its upper end within said handle, a bevel gear on a crankshaft supported on said front plate, a crank handle on said crankshaft to provide means for manual rotation of said bevel gear, a second bevel gear secured on the first said shaft, said second bevel gear being in toothed engagement with said first bevel gear, said plates forming aprotective front and rear enclosure for said gears, the lower end of said bracket having an integral collar freely receiving said shaft therethrough, the lower end of said collar being configurated to be detachably engageable within a V-shaped slot at the upper end of a tube freely receiving said shaft therethrough, the lower end of said tube having an enlarged hood, the shaft being slidable with respect to the tube from a retracted mopping position to an extended wringing position, the upper portion of a turban mop head secured to said hood, the lower end of said shaft extending centrally to a lower end of said turban mop head and secured thereto, a spring clip affixed at its lower end to said tube adjacent said hood, said clip extending upwardly, the upper end of said clip being inwardly turned toward said handle, said clip end being bifurcated to receive said handle, therebetween, one portion of said handle having a polygonal configuration for detachable securement with a like configuration on said clip end, said clip being engaged with said handle portion when said shaft is in the extended wringing position with said collar being engaged in said V-slot, wherein said clip end engages said collar for maintaining the mop in its retracted mopping position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 768,776 8/1904 Shaw 15-1202 2,677,838 5/1954 Jouban 15-l2().2

FOREIGN PATENTS 678,223 8/1952 Great Britain.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

DANIEL BLUM, Examiner. 

